Question : Setting up Digital University and PM e-Vidya Programme

(a) whether the Government proposes to set up a Digital University in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government proposes to develop e-content for schools and expand its One class One TV Channel programme of PM e-Vidya from 12 to 200 channels and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has proposed to set up 50 virtual lab in Science and Mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether it is a fact that barely 8 per cent of rural students and 23 per cent of urban students have access to internet and if so, the action being taken by the Government to improve the infrastructure in this regard; and
(e) the other steps being taken by the Government to impart supplementary teaching and to build a resilient mechanism for education?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

(DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a) to (c) Government of India in its Budget 2022-23 has announced the following:
(i) Establishment of Digital University, to provide access to students across the country for world-class quality universal education with personalized learning experience at their doorsteps in different Indian languages and ICT formats.
(ii) For "Universalization of Quality Education" ‘One class-one TV channel’ programme of PM e-VIDYA will be expanded from 12 to 200 TV channels.
(iii) In vocational courses, to promote crucial critical thinking skills and to give space for creativity, 750 virtual labs in science and mathematics, and 75 skilling e-labs for simulated learning environment, will be set-up.
(d) Ministry of Education under one of its project NKN connectivity, provided 1 Gbps NKN (National Knowledge Network) connectivity to Universities/ Higher Educational Institutes.
Department of Telecommunications, a department under M/o Communications, is implementing the BharatNet project to digitally connect all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Villages of India through Optical Fibre Network. Schools/ Colleges can also be connected with Fibre To The Home (FTTH) broadband connections in these areas.
"Under the components of Infrastructure grants to colleges and Universities under the scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), grants are provided to support strengthening infrastructure facilities for new construction, renovation and purchase of equipment. These activities include construction of Computer Centres, Classrooms including technologically enabled classrooms and up scaling of existing network to enable wi-fi."
Under SWAYAM Prabha initiative, 34 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high quality educational programs through 34 DTH channels on 24x7 basis, to reach out to student/learners of India in a most cost effective manner using two GSAT-15 transponders. It aims to support those students who do not have good learning options like lack of teacher or internet etc.
(e) Significant digital initiatives such as DIKSHA for School Education, SWAYAM, SWAYAM Prabha, Virtual Lab for Higher Education, are undertaken for imparting supplementary teaching to build a resilient mechanism for education. SWAYAM has a unique feature of Credit Transfer under which upto 40% credits can be earned in a conventional programme through successful completion of courses on SWAYAM platform.

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